hey guys i was wonder if you had any advice, tricks, tips and so on sanding and shaping body filler on the roof of my truck. the whole roof is lumpy so i dont know how or where to takle it from. its a frame off resto 76 long bed. im getting close to a final sand and paint on the cab but i left the roof for last cause im no pro and could use some guidence. any thoughts?

 

I would take it down to bare metal, fix the metal as best as you can, then start over with new filler as necessary. Your going to want to use a long board for sanding. And remember not to apply to mush pressure while sanding.

 

oh im way ahead of you the body has been sandblasted and i have shot some sealer in it. i have already layed mud all over this thing. Im just not sure how to approach the roof, nothing is flat and there is no real good reference areas to get a good start at it. Now i could just start laying mud on but how would i start to shape it. its a dome if i start to long block it wont i end up with a some what of a pyramid shape,and not a dome. I have all kind of blocks, but even my soft long blocks are pretty firm and will not bend into shape without alot of pressure. Ive looked at the local body shop suppy store (spaceage paint) but they dont seem to carry anything on the shelf that would work for me. I have to say that this is going on im my garage and im no pro.

I have been told to replace the roof, but it is rust free. and i already have the filler

 

If the roof is rust free it is definatly not ready for replacement. Can you post some pics? Have you first tried to straighten out any metal first? You dont want to just start "slapping" filler everywhere. The most important part of body work is to work the metal back to as close to possible shape. You always want as thin a layer of filler as possible.
As for adjustable flex sanding blocks, check out eastwood, they have them there. Most local stores have to order the blocks anyway. I understand its a domed roof, but even a hard long board can be used to make the shape. It just depends on how you work it. Its all about patience when performing body work. Sand some, step back and look at it (after blowing it clean) and repeat. If you go to far or dont like what you are seeing, grind a little and reapply filler.

 

You will need one of those foam and steel laminated long flexy boards Eastwood sells, They have the self-adhesive sandpaper for it too.

 

hammer and dollie the big dents out , use a metal yard stick or 24" ruler as a straight edge to see the dents better .

 

take a couple pieces of cardboard and a scribe to the JY and find a truck from that generation to scribe templates of the roofs curve going front to back and one going left to right and then use those as references to know where you need to sand more and where to fill more for your truck.